


Worth

by Aranassa



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied Sexual Content, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:40:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25368514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aranassa/pseuds/Aranassa
Summary: Aloy seeks help from Avad, which includes bringing Erend along on a group trip to an ancient building Aloy wants to investigate. Avad is getting married and only asks that they return before the big day. Over the course of their trip and the day of Avad's wedding, Aloy comes to realize that she has feelings for Erend and that maybe he has feelings for her too.Really only 11 chapters - chapter 12 is the same as an earlier chapter but from Erend's perspective.
Relationships: Aloy/Erend (Horizon: Zero Dawn)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not claim to own any of this. I just love all the Ereloy work out there and wanted to contribute!

After months of searching and countless attempts, Aloy finally found a way in.

Or at least a theoretical way in. Buried under a large amount of rock, there was what appeared to be an entrance to a ruin of the Old Ones she had been investigating. Her Focus could just barely make out a faint signal from a door hidden below.

She had heard of the ancient tower through rumors. People knew she was always looking to delve into wreckage, and they were eager to please her after she saved the world. The trick was knowing which rumors had merit. And this one was finally showing its worth.

The problem was going to be getting inside. She faced many challenges, the first being that there was no way she could climb in, as far as she could tell. Weak roots clung to the side of the smooth metal building, which seemed to have sunken and shifted into the earth over the years. Perhaps at one point the entrance was at the base of a set of stairs, and that was why the entrance seemed to be under so much rubble now. Regardless, there weren’t any convenient holds for her to climb up or windows she could squeeze into, so she had needed to find another way in.

The second issue was that it was cold. Aloy had never been so far North before and she had never experienced such wind. She could only spend so long looking for a way in before she needed to head back towards the warmth of the desert.

And third, while she was known for doing the impossible, she was pretty sure she was going to need reinforcements to help her move rock out of the way. She had considered using machines to move the rock, but to get enough of them overridden and in place when it might not even work seemed like it might be a lot of effort wasted. She didn’t even know what was inside the tower to begin with, so she wanted a reliable way to get in. And what if she lost control of them and the building was destroyed in the process? It was too risky.

Aloy sighed and backed away from the pile of rocks, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. Her breath was visible in the frigid air as she leaned back to look at the tall building before her, readying herself for her journey to…where?

Free Heap was the closest settlement, but who there would help her? They needed every person in their community, and while she’d done them a few favors, she didn’t feel it was enough to ask for them to travel this far, freeze, and lose any of their progress in their fight for freedom.

There were other settlements around, but her mind kept wandering to one place she knew she could get help. They certainly had the people to help, and it didn’t hurt that some of them were people she trusted and would be willing to travel with…

But, again, it was a huge favor to ask.

Or maybe she just wasn’t used to being the one asking for help.

Shaking her head at herself, she mounted the Strider she had overridden on her way to the ruins and set off for Meridian.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a long time since she first came to the City of the Sun, months even since the battle with HADES, and yet the city still awed her. Even in the wake of the battle, after spending most of her life living in the wilds seeing Meridian still gave her chills. To know that all this had existed without her knowing while she was outcast amazed her. It was strange to think that this was now the closest place she had to calling ‘home’.

Stranger still was the fact that she was known wherever she went. _The savior_ , people whispered as she crossed the bridge into the golden city. Aloy had never been shy but the change from being invisible to people thinking they knew her was startling and she was still adjusting. Ignoring them, she strode across the bridge and through the streets, her shoulders back and eyes scanning for any familiar faces that might distract her from her discomfort. She found none.

Blameless Marad was waiting for her at the entrance to the Palace of the Sun. Aloy assumed he had been informed by a guard of her arrival. News tended to spread quickly within the walls of Meridian.

“Aloy,” Marad said simply, as if he greeted her every day. “The Sun-King will be glad you are here. He has news he wishes to share.”

Aloy nodded and allowed him to lead her up the winding stairs to where Avad was stationed on his throne. Once there, Marad bowed his head to Avad and headed back down the stairs.

Avad’s greeting was the same as Marad’s, but different. “Aloy,” he said, but it was filled with a radiant enthusiasm. “How have you fared these past months?” He rose from the throne and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder.

There was a woman standing off to the side of the throne, wearing a simple white dress with a gold chain tied around her waist. Her dark hair was intricately braided and there were flecks of gold throughout. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she had stacks of gold bracelets on her wrists and arms. The woman’s face was beautiful, but stoic, her eyes scanning the city before her, though Aloy was sure she was listening.

Returning her attention to Avad, Aloy said, “I’ve been well. Mostly trying to find some last puzzle pieces,” she shrugged.

Avad laughed. “You are always up to something interesting, I’m sure.” He turned his head to look over his shoulder at the woman standing beside the throne. Avad gently steered Aloy over to the woman. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet, Aloy. This is Princes Irina of Soothane, a kingdom significantly South of here.”

Irina nodded at Aloy. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” Her eyes flickered to Avad and then back to Aloy. “I have heard so much about you and what you have done for this city.” There was a confidence about her that made Aloy instantly like her and she was curious about Irina’s accent, having never heard anything like it. Maybe one day she could travel to Soothane and see it for herself. Her sense of adventure prickled but she needed to stay focused on her reason for being here now.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Aloy responded, pulling herself from her own thoughts.

Avad cleared his throat. “Our kingdoms have reached an agreement and we will be married in a few short weeks.”

“Oh! Congratulations!”

“Thank you, Aloy. You are an important ally of Meridian and I have been looking forward to you meeting each other. We were supposed to be married much sooner, but with the parts of the city still being rebuilt it seemed…inappropriate. The people of Meridian are grateful to be alive, but much was lost in the battle. Though the city does need reason to celebrate, and a royal wedding will go far for raising spirits I hope.”

“I agree,” Aloy smiled.

“And I do hope you’ll be there. It would mean a lot to me – to us – to have your presence that day.”

“Of course, I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Avad nodded. “Enough about us, what brings you to the city this time?”

“I…actually have kind of a huge favor to ask of you,” her smile turned sheepish.

“Anything in my power to give you is yours.” Avad returned to his throne, and Irina moved to her spot at his side. Their movements were discomfortingly rigid.

“Well, there’s a ruin up north that I’ve been trying to get into for weeks. It’s well hidden with no easily accessible points of entry. But I think I’ve finally found one.”

Aloy hesitated, and her pause allowed Avad to say, “I’m intrigued. What could I possibly do to assist with this?”

“The entrance is visible with my Focus through some rocks that have buried it. And I need help moving them. I thought about using machines to pull them away, but I’m worried that machines that would be capable of doing so might damage the structure. I can’t risk losing the possibility of what’s inside if the building collapses.”

“So, you need men,” Avad replied simply.

Aloy half shrugged an agreement. “If you can’t spare anyone, I understand. The city is going through a difficult time and they need as many people to help as possible. This is terrible timing, and if it’s just not a possibility right now then I understand, and it can wait.”

“We’ve made a lot of progress. There was a lot of damage, but we are getting there. Besides, the people would want to help you as you’ve helped them. They would be quick to return the favor I’m sure. My men are yours. How many do you need?”

“Five? Maybe six? I don’t want to waste your resources, but I also don’t want to waste the time if we get there and it’s still not enough.”

“I understand. Take eight. Erend can help you pick out those most well equipped to help you.”

Aloy’s heart skipped a beat, for some reason she wasn’t sure. “Actually, that’s part of my request.”

One of Avad’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Oh?”

Aloy cleared her throat. “Well, you see, as grateful as I am that you may have eight men willing to help me, I’m a little bit weary of travelling with eight people I don’t know.”

“But you know Erend personally,” Avad finished for her, one corner of his mouth raising slightly. “I see.”

“It’s a lot to ask, I know, he’s the captain of the guard and I know he’s needed here, probably now more than ever. And I know I could handle myself against eight men, I’ve certainly handled more before.”

“I’m sure you have,” Avad’s mouth quirked, which made Aloy’s cheeks start to burn, though she wasn’t sure why since it was true.

“Um” she laughed at herself. “Yeah, I would feel better about it if Erend was one of the people accompanying me. If it’s not too much to ask.” Her eyes moved between Avad and Irina, who was watching this interaction with seemingly bland interest.

Avad sighed. “It’s not too much to ask, Aloy. I wish there was more I could do for you. You’ll find Erend in the training yard if you’d like to discuss this with him yourself.

“Thank you, Avad. I really hope I find what I’m looking for there.”

“As do I.”

“It was nice to meet you Princess Irina. I look forward to your wedding.” Aloy smiled.

“Thank you. We will be seeing you again soon, I’m sure.” Irina returned her smile, but it didn’t match her eyes.

Aloy nodded and headed back down the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

Erend was in the training yard, as Avad had said he would be. There was a lot of clamor as she approached, the sounds of metal scraping on metal and the general rowdiness of the men in the guard. But Aloy would know Erend’s voice anywhere – and he was the loudest of them all, so it was easy to pick out. Smiling to herself, she entered the training yard.

“Not good enough!” Erend shouted at the guards who were running drills. A few of them were running laps around the perimeter but most of them were practicing with swords or bows, fighting each other or shooting at dummies.

“Hey!” Aloy called out from the entrance to the yard.

Erend stiffened, then spun around quickly. He had an aggressive look on his face, but his expression softened immediately when he saw her. “Aloy,” he said, just as Marad and Avad had, but this time it was said with a warmth no one else used when they greeted her. It was a tone that almost made her blush with the intimacy of how it was said. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he ran over to her, pulling her into a hug.

“Can we go somewhere and talk for a minute?” she asked when he pulled away.

One of the guards whistled suggestively and Erend turned and said, “Hey! She saved all our asses not that long ago, so watch it! Or you're all staying an extra hour.”

There was a grumble from the rest of the guards and Erend turned back to Aloy. “There’s a storeroom temporarily being repurposed for just such occasions until the rest of this place is put back together.” Erend gestured towards a door along the wall of the training yard and they walked shoulder to shoulder in silence, but there was a boyish quality to Erend’s stride, as if there was nothing he would rather do than go and discuss secrets with Aloy.

He opened the thick wooden door for her, and she stepped in and looked around. There were weapons stored on some makeshift shelving along the walls. Dirt was caked on everything, including the worn wooden table and three chairs that were the only furniture inside. Maps were posted where there was wall space, faded lines telling stories of battles long since passed. Light came in through some holes in the high ceiling. Papers and plans were strewn all over the table and the dirt floor.

“Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess. It hasn’t exactly been a priority to keep this place clean.” Erend shuffled some papers around the table and picked some up off the floor. “Avad’s been having us focus more on drills than anything since we’re vulnerable with parts of the walls destroyed. Plus, most of us help with the rebuilding when we’re not here.”

“It’s fine. It’s nice that you’re helping with the rebuild.”

“Well, I did help with the battle, which means I probably caused some of the damage.” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she laughed.

“You also helped prevent more damage from happening by helping me fight HADES. Thanks again for that, by the way.”

“Anytime,” he smiled and rubbed the back of his head. “Though, please don’t make a habit of antagonizing enormous metal beasts.” They laughed. “So, what can I do for you?” He put down his hammer and sat down in the chair on the far side of the table and she sat opposite him.

“I need a favor. A big one. And luckily, Avad has already approved it.”

Erend put a hand to his chest in mock shock. “You went to see Avad before you came to see me?”

She tilted her head. “Sorry, Erend. I would have come here first, but I knew I’d be going to see you after regardless of his answer. If he hadn’t approved, of course I’d still want to stop by for a minute.”

“You promised two,” he pointed at her.

She held up her hands. “Two. Of course. I’m sure it would have turned into much longer than that anyway.”

“Good,” he said, smiling smugly. He waved his hand in the air. “Anyway, so you went to Avad…”

“And I asked if I could borrow some help for a couple of weeks.”

The corner of Erend’s mouth twitched. “What type of help?”

“He’s allowing me to take seven of your guards up north to help me get into the buried entrance of a structure the Old Ones built.”

“Seven of my guards, huh?”

“Plus you.”

Erend’s eyebrows shot up. “Plus me?” The corner of his mouth twitched again.

“Yes. Seven plus you.”

“And did he request that or…?”

Aloy rolled her eyes. “I requested it, of course.”

Erend’s mouth expanded into a broad smile. “Well, now that we have that out of the way, feel free to continue.” He leaned back in his chair.

Aloy smirked. “That’s pretty much it. I’d like to leave as soon as you and the guards you choose are able. I don’t want to keep you long, so I’m hoping this will be a relatively quick trip.”

“How far away is this…structure?”

“It took me three days partially by Strider. Which I don’t expect us to do. I’m hoping we’ll get there in six and I don’t expect to need more than a day to explore the inside of the ruins once I’m inside.”

“What kind of supplies do you need?”

“Anything that will help break or move rock.”

“I think I’ve got that covered.” He pointed at this hammer.

“There’s a lot of rock. We might need more than that,” she laughed.

“We’ll see what we can do.” He winked, and Aloy wondered what she had gotten herself into.


	4. Chapter 4

Erend was quick to pick out the men who would be joining them. He sent them to organize supplies, pack food, and rest, and with only a few jokes from the guards that Aloy suspected had something to do with her/ that she didn’t understand.

They left early the next morning, Aloy having overridden a couple of Striders to pull the cart of supplies they were bringing with them – at least it was one less resource she was taking from the city. They would certainly need a lot of tools to make this work.

At first the pace was quick, but Aloy knew that all the Oseram steel would wear them down eventually. Occasionally some of the guards would talk to her but mostly she kept to herself at the front of the pack leading the way.

After two days she was disappointed in how little ground they’d covered but getting there in six still seemed reasonable. She tended to move quicker than the guards without even realizing it, lost in her own thoughts. Then a heavy hand would land on her shoulder and she’d look up to see Erend, pointing behind her. The rest of the group was always significantly behind. She’d give him an apologetic look and they’d wait for everyone to catch up before continuing.

Aloy was used to setting the pace for only herself. She was getting impatient about getting there and Erend started to notice. He would walk with her, telling her stories about stupid things the other guards had done, jokes he’d heard in the tavern that more often than not made her blush more than laugh, and would ask her questions about the things she’d seen and the places she’d been.

It was easy for her to be open with Erend, to give him pieces of her life she didn’t know how to share with anyone else. A part of her wondered if he had only started talking to her to slow her down, but if that was the case then it worked, and it took her mind off their pace, so she couldn’t complain.

On the fourth day they were starting to feel the chill of the air and Aloy was worried they would lose more time to the cold, but they trudged on and Erend continued to distract her into forgetting.

Six and a half days passed before they reached the ruin. The wind was calmer than the last time Aloy had been there, but there was still a blanket of snow covering everything in sight. It was nearing dark when they arrived, so they set up a camp and settled in. Aloy set out to hunt for dinner and returned not long after with a few rabbits. It would have to do.

Erend sat next to Aloy at the fire, asking more about what she hoped to find. She told him the truth, that she had no idea what was inside or if it would be worth it, but how would she know unless she tried?

After they ate, they went to look at where she had seen the entrance buried below the rock. It was impossible to see at night, but it got them away from the loudness of the rest of the men for a while. A roar went up from the group and she winced, hoping that there wasn’t anyone hostile nearby that would take interest in the noise.

“They’re having too much fun I think,” Aloy grunted.

“Sorry. I’ll, uh, try to calm them down. They haven’t been out of the city since the attack and it’s like they’re seeing the world for the first time,” said Erend.

“Do me a favor and remind them that there are still bad guys out there so they should be careful.”

“Will do.”

They were silent for a moment, staring at the rocks in front of them. Aloy had the feeling that Erend wanted to say something else; he was hardly ever quiet, so he must have been thinking hard about something. She watched him for a while, but he caught her staring at him, so she glanced away and quickly said, “Thank you for coming out here. I mean, I know it was on Avad’s orders, but I still appreciate it.”

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Erend’s jaw working for a second before he said, “I’m not here because Avad ordered it, Aloy.” He looked at her then, and it was hard to see his expression in the dark, but she could tell there was something he wasn’t saying. Deciding to save him the trouble, she gave him a quick smile and headed back to the fire.

****

The next morning was brutal. The men woke up early and started hacking away at the rock, breaking off pieces and carrying them away from their workspace. Erend wouldn’t allow Aloy to help, telling her to rest instead. Her part was seeing what was inside, he said. She went hunting again, needing to do something with herself, foraging for plants along the way, and when she came back there was almost enough rock cleared to see what was below. Hours passed but the Oseram never lost momentum.

She focused on collecting ice and water from a nearby partially frozen stream. It was freezing out, but many of the men had taken off most of their layers, their bodies nearly steaming from their labor. She caught herself watching Erend and averted her eyes as he removed more of his layers, blushing and busying herself with preparing dinner instead.

When night had started to fall, there was finally a path leading below the building. They waited until morning to look closer, and once they did, she was pleased to find there was in fact a door beneath all that rock. Was she going to have to pry the door open, or would the panel recognize her as Elisabet and let her in? This was the moment of truth.

She climbed down and pushed through the narrow path that was cleared to get a closer look. The panel was damaged, but a rock had smashed the door in and using her spear she managed to pry it open the rest of the way.

She moved back to the opening to call up to Erend. “I’m in. I’ll be back out as soon as possible.”

“Take your time.” He gave her a nod and she moved into the dark of the ruin.


	5. Chapter 5

It was always haunting being inside places left behind by the Old Ones. It was a whole new world and Aloy couldn’t really imagine what life was like when they were alive. Everything seemed very harsh and cold, all angles and metal and completely unnatural. How could anyone be happy in a place like this? And to have died here – for, as usual, there were remnants of bodies everywhere – what would that have been like? To have taken your last breath clutching a metal device, crouched in a corner made of steel seemed more than unpleasant. As far as Aloy could tell, there seemed to be little comfort in how they lived or died.

This certainly wasn’t the worst she had seen, but as she went room to room, she tried to picture what the last days here were like. Not much was left, though her Focus picked up on some details.

There were strange letters and recordings from and to people she would never know. She tried to understand the connections between the people who left such things behind, but her capacity for understanding bonds between people was limited. She wouldn’t let herself be consumed by a desire to understand how the stories of the Old Ones intertwined. They all died anyway, and there was nothing she could do to change that, only to make sure that history didn’t repeat itself.

There was a storage room where she found one working power cell. It wasn’t the biggest prize, but it was enough to make the trip worthwhile. Who knew when she would be in need of one again, but she was sure there were places where one would come in handy.

Finally, unsure of how long she had been inside, Aloy could see the top of the building. She pulled herself up the last ledge and sighed with relief as she saw a bit of metal protruding from the side of the building. Bringing herself to the edge, she looked down. It was a clean drop from where she stood; she was on the side of the building that tilted forward. Hopefully leaving this way wouldn’t cause any damage.

Testing the bit of metal that was sticking out with her foot, she knew that it would hold her weight if she used it to rappel down. She would be delivered directly to the base of the camp.

This was her favorite part. The climb was always work, the strain of her muscles as she pulled herself up higher and higher – building or mountain, it was all the same. But it was the relief of being at the top and the final drop back down after a successful exploration that brought her adrenaline and joy that she was sure nothing else could.

It was dark, and Aloy could only see the fire at the camp and a lone figure sitting near it. She hoped she didn’t wake the others with her descent.

Backing up to the landing, she ran towards the metal prongs and leapt into the air. The momentary sense of weightlessness freed her as she spun and threw her grappling hook up to the broken metal. It caught, her weight pulling it down, and her body started rushing down towards the ground. She thrilled at the feeling of the wind in her hair, the sight of the ground getting closer, the plunge in her stomach. There was no room for fear.

She landed with a pleasing crunch of snow beneath her feet. She released herself from the grappling hook and spun to face the fire and the man who stood there.

“That was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen, and you never saw Ersa when she was running drills,” Erend said, eyes wide. “I think I just saw your life flash before my eyes.” Aloy couldn’t help but laugh, patting his shoulder as she walked by him to get closer to the fire. There was some movement near the other tents, some of the guards peaking their head out at the sound of her arrival. Erend cleared his throat. “Did you find anything good in there?”

“More clues, more stories. And,” Aloy pulled the power cell out of her bag, “this. Which I’m sure will help somewhere when I get stuck.”

“Well, um. Good. I’m glad it was worth the trip.”

“Me too. I would have felt awful coming out of there empty handed. But this could go a long way if I get in trouble somewhere else.” She pushed some wind-blown hair behind her ear.

“What does that do, exactly?”

“It’s a kind of…key. The Old Ones used them to power doors and other machinery. But I’ve been a few places where some were missing or not working, and I’ve had to go find more before I could really get anywhere. So now I’ll be a step ahead next time.” The excitement of new adventures was written all over her face. Aloy looked around the camp. It had snowed since she had entered the building and she hoped they hadn’t suffered for her. “How was it out here?”

“Fine, mostly. A few watchers came by right before night set in. They were calm, but we took care of them just in case. Thankfully nothing worse than that, but we would have been prepared for more if they came.”

Aloy nodded, knowing this was true. The machines had been better since the battle of HADES, but it was hard for people to forget how the machines had acted since the Derangement. She knew that Erend understood how the machines had been changed, how the wrong force had them under their control, but it was more difficult to convince everyone else.

Most of the guards who had been checking on the disturbance backed into their tents. One who did not, Tarak, was a guard who had made conversation with Aloy a few times on their trek there.

“Captain,” he said. “I would be happy to relieve you if you’re willing to take a break,” his eyes slid to Aloy for a moment before returning to Erend.

“I’m ok, Tarak, thanks.”

Tarak took another quick look at Aloy before saying, “But you’ve been here all night and I am well rested.”

“You’ve been out all night?” Aloy asked Erend, who nodded. “By yourself?”

“I, uh.” He shook his head and his cheeks were red, but she wasn’t sure if that was from the cold, the fire, or something else. “I didn’t know how long you’d be.”

Aloy tilted her head. “Well I’m here now and you should get some sleep.”

Erend sighed. “Fine. Go get your weapon Tarak.”

Tarak returned to his tent for a moment and emerged carrying his own Warhammer.

“Ok,” she said. “I’m going to go find my bedroll, I guess. Goodnight Erend.”

“G’night,” he said, and she disappeared again into the night.

****

Aloy always volunteered to go hunting for meals. She appreciated the momentary silence, just her and the nature she was surrounded by. Also, Rost had taught her to appreciate each bounty, but the Oseram were brutal when they hunted. They made each kill a prize, taking no care as to how the kill was made. Much was wasted when they were responsible for dinner. So, Aloy gladly went on hunts by herself, bringing back what she could for them to eat. It was always plenty, and never enough to satiate the guards.

On the first night of their return journey, Aloy carried a boar towards where they were camping, hoping that it would be enough to feed the band of men. It was cold and the boar had sent her on a chase, but it was a clean kill and she was certain they’d get a big meal out of it.

As she approached the camp, she heard shouting, so she quickened her pace.

“What the hell happened?” Erend was yelling.

“We were just fooling around, Captain. We didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt or anything.”

Aloy reached the clearing where the tents were. They didn’t notice her right away, but she could see two men meeting Erend’s wrath. One of them was holding a bottle she assumed was not filled with water.

Erend ripped the bottle from his hands. “Who said you could bring this? Huh? This is not a vacation! We have responsibilities!”

“What’s going on?” Aloy asked, dropping the boar near the fire.

“Uh – Aloy! About that.” Erend pointed at one of the men. “This buffoon set your tent and bedroll on fire.”

“He…what?”

“It was an accident, I swear!” the guard looked more terrified now that she was here, as if Aloy’s wrath was worse than Erend’s.

“You should give her your bedroll!” Erend shouted at the guard.

“Oh – no! I’m fine. Really.” Aloy grimaced at the thought of sleeping in a sweaty, dirty bedroll that belonged to someone she didn’t even know. “We’re getting closer to the desert; I don’t usually have a tent or bedroll with me anyway. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

Aloy nodded, concerned about what else he might suggest.

“Alright then. You!” he pointed at one of the men before him. “Go get us some clean water. And you,” he pointed at the other guard, “clean up this mess.”

Aloy sat down next to the boar, pulling out a knife and starting to make work of it.

“Listen,” Erend started. “We could still get snow out here. If you want, we can alternate shifts tonight. I’d rather you at least be inside if you’re asleep.” He sat down next to her, watching her knife.

“Are you suggesting I stay in your tent?”

“Uh. Yes. But you know. You can have it to yourself. If you want.” He raised an eyebrow at her.

She laughed. “Thanks, Erend. But I’ll be fine. I’ve survived colder weather.”

“Suit yourself then.”

The rest of the evening passed without incident. Aloy volunteered for first watch, her mind too restless for sleep as usual.

It wasn’t until everyone had fallen asleep that the wind picked up and the temperature plummeted. Snowflakes started to fall delicately around Aloy before aggressively covering the ground. She shivered even in her Banuk armor, wondering if it was worth lighting another fire. If she were by herself, she would have kept travelling. Heck, she would at least be somewhere she could spend a night for a few shards. But she couldn’t leave now, not when this group of people had helped her on this quest.

She heard a crunch of snow behind her and didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Trying to stifle the sound of her teeth chattering she put one hand over her jaw. Erend knelt beside her, his arms wrapped around himself.

“If can’t sleep because of the sound of this wind, there’s not a chance you’re any use keeping watch in it.”

“I’m f-f-fine,” she winced at her tell-tale stutter. “B-besides, someone needs to b-be on watch.”

“Who do you think is going to launch an attack in this weather? C’mon Aloy. We didn’t come all the way out here for you just so you could freeze to death. Come stay in my tent. I promise it’s not a ploy to get you in my bedroll, as romantic as that sounds. Unless you want it to be, of course,” he winked.

She looked at him with eyes that could slay a Stormbird.

Alarmed, he said, “Ok, I get it. Not a time for jokes. It’s just for tonight, Aloy. I promise we’ll get as close to the desert as possible tomorrow.” She looked at him speculatively, but he pulled her up by her arm and, reluctantly, she followed him to his tent. He held the flap open and she ducked to get in. His tent was only slightly larger than the others, but still very modest.

Aloy looked down at Erend’s bedroll. Not much bigger than hers had been, but it certainly looked warmer.

“Would you prefer I get in first?”

Aloy didn’t know what she wanted. _Not to be in this situation_ , she thought. That’s what she wanted. Aloy liked Erend well enough, but this seemed personal in a way she wasn’t sure she was comfortable with. She wasn’t exactly used to physical contact, but she supposed if she had to experience it with someone, Erend wasn’t her last choice. He might even be closer to the top of the list than she’d care to admit, if she took a moment to think about it. But this was about being reasonable and not dying and she was sure she trusted him enough for this.

With a sigh, she got in, as far over as she possibly could, and once she was settled, Erend got in after her.

The warmth encompassed her, and suddenly, noticing the difference in temperature, she was shivering more than she had been outside. Her teeth were chattering, and her body was shaking, then suddenly Erend’s hand was on her arm and he was asking if she was ok.

“I’m j-j-just c-cold.”

“Ok, well. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do, I guess.”

“M-m-my hands are like i-ice.”

“Here,” he ran his hand down her arm until he found her hand and wrapped his hand around hers. “It might actually be frozen solid!”

She let out a shaky laugh. Using his hand as an anchor, she slowly turned herself around so she was facing him. She put her other hand around his, in an effort to warm them both up.

“You’re very stubborn, you know that?”

“I wouldn’t have d-d-done half the things I-I’ve accomplished if I wasn’t.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” He brought up his other hand so he could hold both of hers together.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Just, uh, don’t let the other guards know unless you want them making jokes the rest of the way back.”

“That really wouldn’t be any different form the rest of the trip.”

“I suppose not.” They were silent for a moment, both focused on their hands and the warmth and the cold.

“Why do they make those jokes anyway? I don’t understand.”

Erend averted his eyes. “They’ll look for any reason to poke fun at their captain, especially since it’s me. I was nothing but a useless drunk until I had to step up.”

“Are you getting cold?”

“Other than my hands, not really, why?”

“Your face is turning red.”

“Ah, yeah,” he said, still not meeting her eyes. “The cold must be getting to me.” His face got redder.

They were quiet after that, the closeness settling in. Once Aloy was warmer, she realized that she’d never really been this close to another person. Rost wasn’t exactly a hugger. And this was different. This was Erend. And it was actually…nice.

She fell asleep, her hands still in Erend’s, the top of her head against his chin, and stayed asleep for a very long time. The wind didn’t die down over night, but she slept better than she had in a long time.

****

When Aloy woke up, she wasn’t sure where she was. A heavy weight was pressing down on her side, and for a while she was too groggy to investigate. But then she realized she was clutching something, a fabric she wasn’t familiar with. Opening her eyes, all she could see was white and orange. She blinked. There was definitely a sound of breathing that wasn’t hers, and the thing in front of her was moving and—

“Are you awake?” Erend whispered.

_Oh_ , she thought. _Right_.

Aloy took a steadying breath. “I am now.”

He shifted back from her slightly, removing his arm from her waist. “Sorry, I didn’t think you’d meant to be that close, but when I woke up you were clutching my shirt pretty tightly and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s not to cross a red-haired Nora. Can’t say I’m complaining though.” He smirked. “Well, I better get up and get them started on the day. Feel free to stay as long as you want.” Erend pushed himself up, put on his boots and left the tent, all while Aloy was frozen in place.

“Where’s the Nora?” one of the guards asked, and she winced.

“Why don’t you worry less about her and more about packing up.” Erend said back.

Aloy pushed herself further down into the bedroll, as if they could see her through the wall of the tent. She hoped she could sneak out the back of the tent, otherwise this was going to be a long trip home.


	6. Chapter 6

They made it back Meridian a few days before the wedding. There was enough time for the guards to settle back into their routine and for Aloy to catch up with her other friends in the city.

Many people had traveled in support of the ceremony and to celebrate with the city, bringing gifts for the king and his soon-to-be queen and plenty of shards to spend at the markets. Several people Aloy had met in her travels arrived and she was happy to spend her days with people she peripherally considered to be friends.

The Nora arrived in the early morning two days before the wedding. They set up a camp on the outskirts of Meridian Village, which had started to be rebuilt. Avad had invited them to help solidify the peace that had been forming between them since the envoy that had brought Erend and Olin to The Embrace. Aloy went to see them out of respect. They had stepped up at the battle at the Spire, joining her in what she thought would be an impossible battle win. Many had fought alongside her, willing to lose their lives for the greater good, for the chance to save the world.

War Chief Sona was present, clearly uncomfortable being outside the Embrace but there with an understanding of the importance of their alliance. They knew of no other city like Meridian, and the strength of such an ally could not be ignored, even if their ways were considered unacceptable lifestyles to most of the Nora. Sona was busy yelling at some Nora who were building shelters, so Aloy avoided her.

She was startled to see that several new Braves had made the journey as well. They were younger than usual – a necessity after all the losses suffered at the last Proving and against HADES. She hoped they were capable and not accepted as Braves just to increase their numbers.

She found Teb unpacking crates of supplies. Aloy approached him, clearing her throat when she was close. Teb looked over his shoulder, his mouth moving into a wide grin when he saw her.

“Aloy!” he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. I’m glad to see you’re doing better after the attack.”

“Much better. A few scars still left over, but I’m alive and here.”

Aloy leaned against a stack of crates. “What made you make the trip out here?”

“Ah. I’m outfitting everyone for the wedding. I still have some work to do before the big day. Speaking of which, I’m glad you stopped by. If you don’t already have something to wear to the wedding, I would be honored to make a dress for you as well.”

“That would be great, Teb.” Aloy had no idea what she was supposed to wear and probably would have ended up wearing armor otherwise.

“Great! I’ll drop it off later then.”

She left Teb to his work, vaguely wondering if she should have requested anything. Not too constricting, not too flashy…she sighed. Aloy supposed she would have to trust Teb and be surprised.

Aloy almost missed Varl as she was leaving the Nora campsite. He was among the tents, following his mother’s orders and eyeing the city with a hesitant interest. The last time the Nora were here they didn’t get to spend any time in the city. And once the battle was over, they had to leave immediately to get back to the Embrace and help with the rebuilding efforts there.

Varl caught Aloy’s eye and waved her over, grinning ear to ear. “Hey, Aloy! I wasn’t expecting to get to see you before the wedding.”

She shrugged. “I promised Avad I would stay out of trouble, so this is as far as I’m allowed to wander until after the celebration is over.”

He laughed and his smiled touched his eyes.

“Varl!” Sona shouted, and they both flinched. “Work now, flirt on your own time!”

Varl ducked his head and shrugged. “I’ll see you at the wedding?” He looked up at her through his eyelashes.

“Of course,” Aloy said, starting to back away to avoid Sona’s wrath.

“Save me a dance?” he asked, his eyes pleading as they swung back and forth between Aloy and his mother.

“Sure,” said Aloy, though she really hoped he would forget. She’d never had much practice dancing.

But it was more than that, she realized. There was an ache in her stomach, something that was telling her that she didn’t want to encourage Varl, to give him the wrong idea. Then again, what did she really understand about Varl’s intentions? They were friends after all, and maybe this was just a friendly invitation to dance.

She considered what it would be like to dance with Varl. Not terrible, she thought, but probably awkward. She imagined her dancing would be clunky and she laughed at herself. For all her grace on the battlefield what would her feet do on a dance floor? And forget her feet, what was she supposed to do with her arms or hands?

A guard walked past her, and she immediately thought of Erend, which led to a line of thoughts that were startling in a different way. What would it be like to dance with Erend? Would they be like a couple of clunky chickens? She thought of him asking her to dance and stopped in her tracks.

Would she say yes?

She bit her lip.

Yes, she would, she thought, and kept walking.

But what would happen next? Would he put his hand on her waist? Would his other hand hold hers? Would she feel the warmth of his body against hers like she did that night in his tent? She blushed, now imagining that her cheeks were as red as her hair.

Shaking herself, she realized she was in the market not far from her residence with no memory of getting there. A new sense of anticipation rooted itself in her gut.

She made her way to her house and went inside, unsure of what to do with herself and her thoughts for the rest of the day.


	7. Chapter 7

Aloy looked at the dress that Teb had made for her to wear to the wedding. He had gone into the city to buy more fabric and had been inspired by the fashion of the city. It was typical Carja fashion, a deep blue with gold geometric shapes woven into the fabric. It had short sleeves, and the skirt was made of long strips of fabric that came to a point near her feet. She wasn’t sure how to wear something like this. It seemed very impractical. It was beautiful, but typically her only concern when it came to attire was how much protection it would give her, not how pretty it looked.

Sighing, she put it on. She felt ridiculous, and even though most of her body was covered, perhaps even more so than usual, she felt like she was naked.

When she was done getting ready, she went outside to find that Talanah was waiting outside to escort her to the wedding.

“That dress looks fantastic on you!” Talanah said, linking arms with Aloy as they continued down the street.

“I don’t know about that. This is way out of my comfort zone.”

“Well, just trust me then. And own it.” She smirked at Aloy. “In fact, I’m jealous. You’ll have everyone’s eye today.”

Aloy blushed and desperately hoped that she would receive no additional attention for her attire.

The wedding was to take place at high noon in the Temple of the Sun. Once the ceremony was over, the king and his new queen would be presented to their guests and the celebration would begin and wouldn’t end until the following morning. The Carja believed that the Sun needed to bear witness to the ceremony, and if the Sun didn’t rise the following morning then the marriage wasn’t blessed. 

Of course, no marriage had ever gone unblessed.

The crowds of people in the streets made Aloy uncomfortable. She didn’t spend much time in cities, or even villages, and there were more people in Meridian that day than Aloy had ever seen.

Talanah guided her through the streets towards the palace, pointing out all the special things going on as they went. “There’s where they’ll lay out the food,” she would say. “The king has purchased most of the food from local farmers to feed all the guests.” Or, “That’s where I’ll be scoping out someone to dance with,” she’d laugh, pointing out a balcony that belonged to the Hunter’s Lodge.

The crowds thickened the closer they got to the palace, and Aloy wondered how close they really needed to get. Wasn’t it enough that she was present? Did she need to be squeezed in between all these unknown bodies, these people who looked at her with eyes that widened with recognition?

“Excuse me! Coming through!” A guard was pushing through the crowd. He wasn’t someone Aloy recognized, possibly because of their armor. When he saw Aloy he shouted, “Found her, Captain!”

Aloy wasn’t sure what was happening. She assumed that “captain” referred to Erend, but she wasn’t sure why there would be a search for her in this mess. Aloy turned, looking for Erend in the crowd, and Talanah eyed her curiously.

A moment later, Erend burst through the crowd, stopping when he laid eyes on Aloy. He froze at the sight of her, his eyes the only thing that moved as they took in her wedding attire. Talanah let out a quiet laugh and he cleared his throat. “There you are!”

“Uh, you were looking for me?” She asked.

“Of course! You’re a special guest of the Sun-King. You’re supposed to be in temple!”

“Oh, I didn’t know.”

“Follow me,” he said, offering his arm.

“You better go,” said Talanah, raising her eyebrows.

Aloy eyed Erend nervously. He was wearing his Oseram armor, but it was shinier than usual. It must have been polished for the wedding. She took Erend’s arm hesitantly, with a quick look at Talanah.

“Lucky girl. Say hi to Avad for me,” she waved her fingers at Aloy as she disappeared behind them into the crowd.

“Make way!” Erend shouted, keeping as many people away from Aloy as he could.

Aloy shrunk away from the attention that this brought her, though she appreciated the effect it had when it came to her personal space. No one wanted to get close to the Oseram captain today.

Erend gently towed her through the crowd towards the temple. When they were inside, he leaned in close to her and whispered, “Are you ok?”

She nodded her head once, taken aback by the way her heart sped up at his proximity. “Thanks for keeping them away,” she whispered back.

“Of course,” he smiled.

“Am I really supposed to be in here?”

“No.”

Her eyes widened, her heart speeding up for an entirely different reason. “I can’t interrupt the wedding of a king, Erend.”

“First of all, if anyone could interrupt the wedding of a king it would be you. Second, I didn’t think you’d want to be in the crowd. Besides, I’m required to be present for the ceremony in case anything happens. Don’t you think that gets me a plus one?”

“I’m not sure about that but thank you Erend.” Of course Erend would know that as much as she wanted to be here for Avad, being in a crowd was her worst nightmare.

“Don’t mention it.” They started down a hallway off to the side. “On second thought, if you want to return the favor, you can save me a dance.” He winked at her.

Aloy blushed, thinking back to the images her mind had conjured the day before. A part of her wanted to say yes and another part of her was terrified both of dancing and what Erend’s simple suggestion did to her heart. “I don’t know how to dance,” she admitted instead.

“Well we’re going to fix that and then you’ll owe me a second dance once you’ve learned.” He smirked.

Aloy rolled her eyes, and her stomach tumbled too. It was a much better feeling than when Varl had mentioned dancing.

They rounded a corner and Avad was coming the other way. He was wearing white robes embroidered with gold thread and had a large headdress on his head. There were multiple guards escorting him down the hall.

“Captain? Aloy?” Avad asked, coming to a stop before them.

Aloy fidgeted with her skirt. Erend cleared his throat. “Your Highness,” he said.

“Are you lost? Aren’t you supposed to be in the temple?” Avad asked Erend, questions in his eyes though he had a smile on his face and his tone suggested amusement.

“Yes, sir. Just…uh, showing Aloy around.” Erend stumbled.

“Aloy has been here before, Erend,” said Avad. “Well,” he turned to Aloy, “you should join us in the temple as well then.

“Oh, I couldn’t intrude,” said Aloy.

“Please, it would be nice for you to be there. This wedding couldn’t have even happened if you hadn’t saved us all.”

“Okay then,” Aloy agreed.

They walked back through the halls until they were in the main part of the temple. Erend explained that Irina would be escorted in shortly and brought Aloy to where other delegates were standing waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Soon, Irina was brought in, joined by a cluster of other women who attended to the long train of her gold and white dress until she was standing with Avad and the Sun Priest who was to marry them.

Aloy couldn’t hear much of the ceremony, but thankfully it was quick. As soon as it was over, several delegates swarmed Avad and Irina with congratulations. Feeling out of place, Aloy wandered to the side of the room where Erend was standing.

“How do I get out of here? Or can I stay for the rest of the day?”

He snorted a laugh. “You probably could stay here all day, but all the good food is out there,” he gestured in the direction of the city.

“I suppose I shouldn’t stay here. When are you leaving?”

“I have to stay with Avad for most of the day. I’ll probably be relieved in time for dinner though, if you want to save me a seat?” He smiled hopefully.

“Of course, Erend.”

“Good,” he said.

“Well, I better leave before the crowds swarm the temple.”

“Good luck.”

****  
The celebration was chaotic, a constant flow of people and sounds and smells. There were clusters of musicians throughout the city, beating drums and strumming lutes and bringing an energy to the city that heightened everyone’s mood. Stalls were passing out pastries and meat on skewers and beverages in all colors and flavors. Despite the strangeness of not wearing armor, Aloy was grateful to Teb for having crafted her a dress that matched the style of everyone else. The last thing she wanted was to stand out.  
Aloy found her way to a stall passing out beverages and took one for something to do. She wandered to a corner of the celebration where there were fewer people and planted herself there, occasionally taking a sip of the bitter drink in her hand.  
A figure emerged from the crowd, draped in deep purple from head to toe and accented with gold jewelry.  
“My, my,” said Vanasha, circling her. “Don’t you look ravishing.” She ran a finger down Aloy’s arm. “Who’s the lucky boy or girl who gets to take you home tonight, hmmm?” Vanasha sighed.

“Uh, no one is taking me home,” said Aloy, her face warming.

“Well that’s just too bad.” Vanasha took a pastry off a nearby table and returned to Aloy’s side. “How’s the city treating you?”

“It’s fine. But I’ve been here a few days and I’m itching to get back out there.”

“Ah, yes. Avad mentioned that he asked you to stay within city limits lest you attract more trouble.” She smiled and Aloy grimaced. “Do you have any idea where you’ll head next?”

“No. But I almost never know where I’m going. I stumble across a lot of things.” Aloy shrugged, taking a sip of her beverage.

“I bet you do.”

“How have you been?”

Vanasha sighed and fiddled with Aloy’s sleeve. “Avad wants me to lay low for a while longer, though I haven’t been able to keep my eyes and ears out of other people’s business anyway. Speaking of which, what’s with you and the captain?” She moved her head to gesture in the direction Erend was standing, a decent distance away on a balcony with Avad and Irina. He seemed to be watching them with a mild curiosity.

Aloy nearly spat out her drink. “What?”

“Oh, don’t tell me you two aren’t a thing.” Vanasha laughed. “He certainly has his eyes on you. He hasn’t looked away since before we started talking. I hope the city doesn’t get attacked because he certainly isn’t going to notice.” She laughed and turned back to Aloy, who was trying desperately not to glance back in Erend’s direction. “Is he your type?” Vanasha teased with a smirk, and Aloy felt herself tense. “It certainly seems you’re his. I guess I know who’s going to try to take you home after all.”

“Erend wouldn’t – he’s not – I’m not – we’re not – “

“Oh, little huntress. You are adorably naïve. You should see yourself blushing. I’ll leave you to it then,” she said disappearing into the crowd.

Vanasha’s words made Aloy anxious. Was she right? Did Erend…have feelings for her? And was it a bad thing if he did?

No, it wasn’t a bad thing. She liked the idea that Erend may feel that way. Is that how she felt too? Did she like Erend?

Aloy followed her thoughts to new territory. She liked Erend as friend for certain. But recently things had been different. Better. When she thought of him, even in passing, she felt happier, warmer…lighter than she was used to feeling. Aloy had plenty of friends, but there was no one else who looked at her the way that Erend did, and it did things to her heart she wasn’t sure she knew how to explain. She wasn’t even sure she could pinpoint the moment when these feelings started. It was like they had always been there.

And if she was honest with herself, thoughts of him had been plaguing her day and night for a while. No, not plaguing. That wasn’t the right word. This was not a bad thing.

Weary from her encounter with Vanasha, Aloy went to see if she could find any other familiar faces. She navigated the crowds carefully, trying to stay away from large pockets of people.

She found the Nora celebrating in a pavilion that had been set up just for them. The Nora weren’t flashy, but they felt safer among their own, and asking them to disperse into the crowd would be asking them to step further outside of their comfort zone. So, Avad had kindly accommodated them, glad they were willing to make the journey to solidify this new alliance.

She hesitated before entering their space, worried that Varl would find her and ask her to dance. She found she wasn’t mentally prepared for that trial. She couldn’t see him as she wandered the perimeter of their space, but she did spot Teb and thought it would be polite to thank him in person for making her dress. Teb smiled when he saw her, friendly as ever.

“You look great!” Teb said, as if he didn’t know who had made her dress.

“Thank you, Teb. You have no idea how much I appreciate you making this last minute.

“It’s the least I could do, Aloy.” They fell into an easy conversation about nothing in particular until Aloy spotted Varl and guiltily excused herself. She was going to have to face him eventually, but the thought of him asking her to dance gave her anxiety, and she already had enough anxiety from trying to sort out her feelings for Erend.

Before long, the sun was setting and Aloy’s stomach was growling. Finding a table that hadn’t been picked over too heavily, she found a tray of sweet-smelling puff pastries. She picked one up and tore pieces from it, savoring the flavors as she examined her other options.

“Those are my favorites,” said a voice behind her. She told herself it was the breeze that made her shiver.

“It’s really good,” she took another bite as Erend reached for one and put the whole thing in his mouth. “Are you still on duty?” It was a silly question, she realized, since he was no longer wearing most of his armor, as if he had been too impatient to change completely.

He shook his head. “Not anymore. It’s time to eat!”

They piled food on plates and found a place to sit in the corner of the festivities. They people watched as Erend told her about his day since the ceremony. Aloy told him about her visit with the Nora and then Erend got up to get seconds, and then thirds, at which point he also brought back more pastries for Aloy to try. For a while most people were eating, but more and more people started to find partners to dance with and soon there were more people dancing than there were eating.

After a while, they were both quiet, until Erend quietly cleared his throat, his finger moving back and forth against the rim of his plate. “So. Care to take me up on that dance?” He didn’t look at her when he asked, but Aloy’s eyes flicked to him and she noticed his cheeks were pink.

Aloy felt herself blush too. She was doing a lot of that lately. “Sure,” she said more wearily than she meant to.

“Y-you don’t have to if you –“

“No, it’s not that, Erend.” The corner of his mouth went up a little and that thing happened to her heart again. “I just meant it when I said I don’t know how to.” Aloy looked out at all the people dancing. It seemed like everyone knew how to dance. “I’m…” she squinted, “scared.”

Erend’s smile grew. “That’s the funniest thing you’ve ever said. C’mon,” he took their plates and set them aside, then he took Aloy’s hand and brought her closer to where people were dancing.

Once they were among the crowd, Aloy didn’t know what to do with herself. But then she looked at Erend, and he had a look on his face like he didn’t know what to do either. Hesitantly, he put Aloy’s hand on his shoulder and then put his own hand on her waist, taking her other hand in his. They moved slightly and Aloy stepped on Erend’s foot. He laughed and said, “I promise you’ll get the hang of it”.

Eventually it was easier. Aloy wasn’t as panicked. Erend wasn’t exactly graceful either. She decided she was fine looking like a clunky chicken if Erend was her clunky chicken partner.

Erend was looking at her in a way she didn’t know how to respond to. Should she look back at him? Was it rude if she settled for looking everywhere but him? Was that weird? She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but her whole life had been spent training to hunt machines, not men.

“You, uh…” Erend started. “That dress…uh…you look pretty. I mean, you usually look pretty. Always look pretty. But I…that dress…is good.”

Aloy smiled at Erend, trying to work out a response, when there was a tap on her shoulder, and she turned her head to see Varl.

“I was wondering if I could bother you for that dance,” Varl said.

“Uh, sure, Varl,” she said, though her heart sank. It was truly nothing against Varl, she just wanted to be with Erend. But she also knew that Varl wouldn’t be in Meridian much longer, and she did want to spend time with her friend. At least she felt better about dancing.

Aloy removed her hand from Erend’s shoulder but squeezed the hand she was holding. “I’ll catch up with you later?”

He looked a little disappointed for a moment but then he blinked and said, “Sounds like a plan,” with a smile.

Varl was a decent dancer. He was sure on his feet and didn’t hesitate to guide her. He made her laugh and she had a great time with him, but when he asked for a second dance, she found herself saying she needed a break. She could see something in Varl’s eyes that resembled the way Erend looked at her, and if it meant what Vanasha had said, then she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea about anything.

She spotted Erend leaning up against a wall on the other side of the city. She wasn’t sure if she had been trying to find him, but she was happy to see him.

“Hey,” Aloy said, moving to stand beside him. Erend looked at her once, then his eyes shifted back out to the crowd.

“Hey.”

“Are you on duty now?” She Aloy tilted her head. “Or can I get that second dance?”

“Second? We danced for a long time earlier.” He said, his eyebrow going up and the corner of his mouth twitching like he was trying not to smile.

“Well, I thought it would be two separate times, I guess.”

“What about Varl?” he asked, looking at her for a moment.

“What about him? I promised him one dance. I promised you two if I remember correctly.”

She could swear that he blushed. He held out his hand and when she took it, his smile could have lit up the entire city.

******

It was starting to become early morning, light creeping out over the horizon. Aloy had been with Erend for hours and was sure he was the only thing keeping her standing. Her sides hurt from laughing and her face hurt from smiling and forget the wedding, there could have been a parade of Tallnecks in the city and she wouldn’t have even noticed. She could stay in the city forever if it would always be like this.

“Are you tired or are you planning on watching the sun rise? I bet this one will be even better than usual.”

“I’m not tired,” she said, but she felt exhaustion sweep over her as soon as the words were out. “Are sun rises usually nice here?” 

“You’ve never watched the sun rise in Meridian?” he asked in disbelief.

“No. I mean, I’ve been here for it, but I haven’t gone out of my way to watch it.”

“Come with me,” he reached out and took her hand and a pulse went through her arm straight to her heart. “I know the perfect place to watch it.”

Erend pulled her through the emptying streets, past the stalls where food had been laid out all day and were now covered or empty. They reached the bridge that led to the palace and he brought her to the side of the middle of the bridge.

“It’s perfect here,” he let go of her hand, looking at her but pointing at the horizon. “There’s almost nothing like it.”

They sat on the side of the bridge and watched the sky slowly changed color. Dark blue sky slowly gave way to purple as the sun peeked out over the horizon. There were cheers from the city as the sun gave its blessing to Avad and Irina.

Aloy and Erend were quiet, not needing to say anything. She rested her head on his shoulder, unsure if the action came from a place of exhaustion or not. She felt him stiffen for a moment before hesitantly leaning his head against hers. There was something nice about it, she thought, that they could watch this together. Her eyes were on the horizon, but she was acutely aware of Erend’s hand on the ground between them. She found herself considering putting her hand on his, but the more she thought about it the more nervous she became, so she did nothing.

When the sun had fully risen and the streaks of gold and pink and orange were fading into purple and blue, Aloy yawned.

“I knew you were tired,” she could feel his head move as he chuckled.

She laughed, lifting her head to look him in the eyes. “Ok, maybe a little.” Her smile faded. Their faces were so close, their noses practically touching, and she didn’t know what to do with herself. She panicked, wondering if she should pull away or move closer. His eyes moved down her face and stopped at her lips. She thought for a moment that he might kiss her, and she realized that was exactly what she wanted him to do.

But a moment later, he stood up. He extended his hand towards her and said, “C’mon. I’ll walk you home.” Aloy grabbed hold of his hand and he pulled her to her feet and down the street, her heart staying behind on the bridge.


	8. Chapter 8

Aloy and Erend walked to Aloy’s house shoulder to shoulder in a comfortable silence. It wasn’t that they had run out of things to say, they were just enjoying the peacefulness of the dawn, the silence of the city. The streets were empty, everyone else in their beds or at their posts. It was strange to Aloy that somehow the city felt even larger.

When they reached Aloy’s home, she turned to face Erend. What did you say to someone who you’d just had the most wonderful day with? Who’d danced with you, lifted your spirits, made you see a new kind of happiness for once? Who’d sat with you for a beautiful sunrise, one said to bless the marriage of a king? She couldn’t meet his eyes for a moment, her thoughts winning out over action, a sense of anticipation filling her chest.

“Well,” Erend started. “Have a good sleep I guess,” he chuckled.

Her heart sank. Would that be all this day would lead to? Was she silly to think that their goodbye could be something more? But what more could there be?

“You too,” she heard herself say, but it was halfhearted. They were standing close and in the quiet of the street she could hear his breathing. There was this feeling again, this idea nagging at her thoughts, that she wanted to kiss him. Again, it surprised her, but the more she thought about it the more she realized it was coming to mind because it was what she wanted, what she hoped for. She had feelings for Erend, and they weren’t going anywhere.

She looked up and saw something in his eyes she couldn’t interpret – curse the Nora for depriving her of human interaction for so long – but he cleared his throat and took a step back. “G’night or morning or whatever it is,” he said with a quiet laugh.

She nodded. He started to walk away, and she pulled a chain with a key on the end of it out of her dress. She could hear his footsteps trailing away and froze as she put the key in the lock.

 _This is ridiculous_ , she thought. She was a Seeker of the Nora, a Brave, the Anointed, whatever she was to them now. She was the legacy of Elisabet Sobeck and GAIA. The person created with the sole purpose of saving the world. And she had saved it. She had taken down machines that others could never dream of.

If she wanted Erend then that was nothing to be afraid of. And how could she not try to go after what she wanted? Didn’t she deserve a slice of happiness in this world that had expected and taken so much from her?

She spun around. “Erend?” She asked, hearing the hopefulness in her own voice. Maybe she really had wanted this a lot longer than she realized.

He stopped immediately, mid step, like he had been waiting for her to say something else. Turning, he asked, “Yes?”

Aloy bit her lip. She’d never done something like this before, but she knew it was now or never. If he walked away it would be a missed opportunity and she didn’t know when she would have the chance again. She could face danger and death with enthusiasm, but her feelings were another type of monster.

Steeling her courage, she ran at him and in one motion grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards her as she stood on her toes, pressing her lips none-too-gently against his. She felt completely bare and known, vulnerable in a way she had never felt before, like she was confessing all her secrets. If he didn’t reciprocate, she felt like she might fall apart. It was clumsy, and she was sure it was terrible, and when she suddenly pulled back, he looked bewildered.

She felt shy for the first time in her life, unsure about how these things worked. “Will you come inside?” she asked, searching his blinking eyes.

“Sure,” he said slowly, the bewildered look still on his face.

Aloy went back to the door and pushed it open. She realized she was trembling as she put her key in the satchel she had left on the kitchen table. She turned to find Erend still standing in the entryway, looking mystified.

“Are you alright? You can come in further than that, you know.” She tilted her head and moved closer to where he stood.

“What’s. Happening?” Erend said as if it were two sentences, one of his hands rubbing the back of his head, the other twitching at his side.

Aloy took a breath. “What do you mean?”

Erend blinked at her. “I mean. You kissed me. And I’m not sure what’s happening.”

“Well I didn’t trip and fall onto your lips, if that’s what your suggesting.” For once, Erend didn’t laugh at her sarcasm and she realized that he really didn’t know why she had done it. Maybe the kiss had been so terrible that he thought it had been a mistake.

“I have feelings for you Erend. And I had the most amazing day with you, and it made me realize that I couldn’t keep that to myself any longer. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that without asking first. Is it not ok that I kissed you?”

“Are you serious?” He was still rubbing the back of his head, staring at her like he was trying to solve an extremely complicated puzzle. “I don’t exactly think I’ve been subtle in how I feel about you.”

“I’m not sure what’s wrong then.”

“I just can’t believe that…you could want that. With me.”

“Why is it so hard to believe? You’re…my best friend.”

“But you could have anyone.” He waved one of his hands around as if he were gesturing to the entire city.

“Anyone?” She grimaced, her heart breaking. She didn’t want anyone. She wanted him.

“I mean, what about Varl? He’s certainly interested, and he’d understandably be a good match for you. And geeze, Vanasha can’t keep her hands off you. Shit, that could have even been you up there with Avad today! Or have you not noticed the line of people waiting for any sign of your interest in them?”

Aloy took a deep breath, trying to digest the concept of the people he brought up having feelings for her. She was learning more about how people showed that kind of interest in each other, but regardless of how others felt she knew how she felt, and she had thought Erend might be on the same page. She frowned and crossed her arms. This wasn’t going at all as she had hoped.

“Varl is – well, he’s very—he’s Nora. Which is fine, but…I think I’m done with the Nora in a way he’ll never be. Not to mention, no matter what he says, all he’ll ever see me as now is the Anointed,” she rolled her eyes. “Vanasha is a very interesting woman, but she’s like the embodiment of whispered secrets, and I’ve had enough secrets in my life. And Avad? Do you really think I’d want to be with someone who wishes I were someone else? Not to mention, I’m not interested in being a political move.

“But you,” she took a step closer. “You’ve always seen me for who I am, for who I could be. You saw it at The Embrace, you saw it when you were drunk my first night here, and you see it now. I don’t know anything about there being a line of people waiting for me, but if there was one then I guess I hoped you would be one of the people in it. Besides, aren’t you the one I spent all day with? All night?”

He swallowed. Nodded. Cleared his throat. “Okay. Yes. Good.” He stood there blinking at her, neither sure how to proceed. Finally, he gestured vaguely to the door and said, “Can we…can we do that again?”

She smiled, and this time when she kissed him, she was sure he kissed her back. It was a much gentler kiss than she expected from the Oseram. He brought a hand up to her face and slowly pushed his fingers into her hair like he was trying to test if she was real, and she felt another pleasant tumble in her stomach. His mouth was warm against hers and the way his fingers moved through her hair and over her face sent chills down her spine. Aloy had never had alcohol, but she imagined that this was what it felt like to be intoxicated.

She lifted her hands to grip the front of his shirt again, pulling him towards her. He made a sound deep in his throat that gave her goosebumps and put his other hand on her waist to bring her closer.

Erend shifted their bodies and suddenly there was something behind her – the door, she assumed. She felt lightheaded and heard her heart beating in her ears as if all she was made of was her pulse. She never wanted it to end.

Then he broke the kiss abruptly, taking a few steps back and rubbing the back of his head. She was left cold by his absence, her legs shaking at the encounter. Her breathing was more erratic than she could ever remember it being, and she was pleased to see that he was breathing heavily too, though it was impossible to hear over the blood rushing through her ears. It took her a few moments to realize that he was pacing.

“What’s wrong?”

He took a deep breath. “I…I think we should both get some sleep and we should talk about this tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Because,” he sighed, “if that hypothetical line physically existed, I wouldn’t get in it because I wouldn’t think I even had a chance.” He paused, and there was desperation in his eyes when he started to speak again. “You matter to me…a lot. So, if by some miracle you’re interested in me in that way, then I need to know that this is real, and that you’re not just deliriously sleep deprived. Aloy,” he paused and took a step forward. Brushing the back of his fingers against her cheek he said, “it would destroy me to be this close and then lose you.”

“Then stay,” she spat out.

“Stay?”

“Yes, stay!” Maybe she was delirious. But she knew she wanted this, and she couldn’t understand how he could kiss her like he just did and then say those words. She would prove it to him if it meant the first thing she did when she woke up was tell him again how she felt.

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because if you wake up in the morning and decide this was a huge mistake, I don’t want to be here for that.”

“That’s not going to happen Erend.” She reached out and took his hand. “I want this. I promise.”

He let out a long breath, a defeated look on his face. “I hope so.”

With that, Aloy pulled him up the stairs to her room, where they slept soundly, curled around each other, for a long time.


	9. Chapter 9

Aloy didn’t know what time it was when she woke up. The sun was out, light pouring in through the open windows. She yawned, sitting up and stretching her arms and legs, stiff from sleeping in an unusual position.

Erend was on his back beside her, his eyes closed, his face relaxed. She leaned over and kissed him once and a slow smile spread across his face.

“You haven’t changed your mind?” he said almost against her mouth.

“Of course not.” She frowned. “Why do you taste like fruit?”

He opened one eye. “I got up a while ago and bought some pastries. I figured you’d be hungry, regardless of what other feelings you woke up with.”

She shook her head and kissed him again. She could get used to this, she thought. She pulled away and leaned her forehead against his. He rolled onto his side and placed a hand on her waist, pulling her closer. His eyebrows drew together but he kissed her again and something sparked inside her.

One of her hands moved up to his neck and slid back into his strip of hair and that was all the encouragement he needed. He moved them so that she was on her back and he was slightly over her, his hand still on her waist. He deepened the kiss with a new eagerness, and this was the kiss she had been expecting before, forged in fire, the kiss of an Oseram, his tongue moving against hers in a way that made her toes curl.

Her dress was pushed up from sleeping and one of his hands found a slit in her dress, his fingers grazing the skin of her hip. He pulled his lips away to ask, “Do you have nothing on under this?”

“Am I supposed to?” she asked, breathless.

“Ha!” he said, moving his head to her shoulder. “I get it now,” he said into her neck, his facial hair brushing against her skin as he spoke.

“Get what?” Aloy tried to focus on his words and not his calloused fingers on her bare skin or his breath against her ear.

“I’m dead. I went to the battle with HADES and I died and now I’m dead and you’re some being of the afterlife sent to torture me because I never told Aloy I—.” he stopped short.

She stilled as he continued to breathe against her. “You…never told me what?”

“Nothing,” he said, lifting his head to look at her, a new sense of reality forming behind his eyes. He sat up on his knees, rubbing his face with his hands. “This just isn’t happening. It can’t be.”

“Look, if you don’t want to be here, I’m not keeping you. If this isn’t what you want, you can go,” she said, almost angrily.

“It’s not that, Aloy. Trust me.”

“Then what is it?”

He sighed. “I’m not worthy of you.”

She frowned. He said it sincerely enough, but how could he not consider them to be equals?

“And who or what determines my worth, exactly? A goddess? The proving? A Blazing Sun from the lodge? A machine? A king?” She raised herself up on her elbows to look him closer in the eyes. “Would it make you happy to be with me?”

“Very much so,” he said without hesitation.

“Then tell me, why do you think you’re unworthy of your own happiness?”

He sighed. “You’re nineteen, Aloy. And I’m…” he weighed words in his head and settled on – “not. I’ve spent most of my life unimpressively wasting away. Ersa had all the glory she wanted, and I had all the drinks. Meanwhile, every moment of your life has been spent working towards one great thing or another. I’m just lucky enough to have been a stop along the way.

“And if it comes down to it, and this is what you really want, then that kinda terrifies me. I don’t want to be a waste of your time and I don’t want to disappoint you. I don’t want this all to be the elaborate dream I fear it is. I don’t want to ruin whatever I’ve done to make you even consider that I might be suitable for you. And I don’t want you to ever forget about me, because the Sun knows I could never forget about you.

“Aloy…when we were traveling, you asked why the guards always make jokes about us. It’s because they know how I feel about you. It’s because they know I would do anything – _anything_ – for you if you asked. For every reckless thing I’ve done in my life, I would do ten more if it benefited you. And they know that. Hell, everyone knows that. And the punch line of every joke is that you have no idea how much I care about you.”

Aloy wordlessly blinked at him, struggling to find her voice. Erend stayed quiet, watching her take in his confession.

“Erend…” She began, and then stopped. How could she put her heart into words the way he had? Erend shifted his weight, moving to get off the bed.

“I’m sorry. That was a lot to dump on you. I should just go,” he said.

Aloy reached out and grabbed his hand. “No, Erend. No.” He turned, a look on his face like he had been cracked open, but he rubbed his thumb along her hand and waited. How could she make him understand that she felt the same way?

“This is hard for me to explain. You know I don’t have a lot of experience with people and I don’t really have the patience or desire to try. But I really meant what I said earlier, about how you’ve always seen my worth. Each moment I spend with you makes me realize even more how much you mean to me and how much I trust you. And the thing is, Erend…I think I’m falling in love with you.” His eyebrows raised slightly, not expecting these words to come from her mouth, but still he said nothing. She pulled him closer, guiding him to sit back down on the bed. “I’m not even sure if I’m a whole person, between how I was…made…and how I was raised. But you make me feel…normal. And that’s what I want. I know what I was created for now. Questions I’ve had my whole life have been answered. And you’re a huge part of the reason I was even able to start and finish that journey. But now I can start a new one, and I want it to be with you. If you can believe me. If you’ll have me.”

His sighed then pressed his lips against hers and there was nothing either of them could do to stop what was set in motion. Clasps started to be undone, clothes started to be removed, and Aloy began to learn about a new kind of exploration, one with hands and lips and tongues and teeth. It was funny how not even a week ago she had panicked about being in Erend’s tent, and now she couldn’t be close enough to him.

It was all too much and too little at the same time. Too much space between them and too little air. Too many clothes in the way and too little skin to touch. Each sound Erend elicited from her increased his eagerness to hear it again, a dangerous cycle for them both. The only interruptions in their progress happened when he’d stop to ask her if she was ok, if _this_ was ok, if they should stop, and Aloy would respond by wordlessly pulling him closer, her hands going to his hair, her legs wrapping around his waist. She wanted to know more about what was happening to her, this feeling that she didn’t have a name for. Each question he asked only made her want to continue, to figure out what the plunge in her stomach meant, to put words to the feeling in her gut.

When her dress was removed, he trailed kisses down her throat and back up to her ear, his hands roaming over her body in ways that made her head spin. She felt as though he was taking her apart as she would take apart a machine: methodically, piece by piece, until all functionality was gone. If she had no choice but to be worshiped, then this was the only acceptable method of devotion: Erend showing his appreciation for every inch of her. And as their bodies joined and moved together, she knew that she had been wrong before about nothing being able to give her the adrenaline, the joy, that the pull of gravity could. Their movements made her feel the same elation that she felt in battle. His kiss was like knocking an arrow, his hands sliding up her body were like drawing a bow, and each movement of his hips against hers was like an arrow firing, sparks erupting from hitting its target.

When they were finally exhausted, a satisfied tangle of limbs and sheets, Aloy teasingly said in a quiet voice, “Can we do _that_ again?”

Erend barked out a laugh. “Absolutely. But I think I need to rest a while first.”

Aloy smiled and nodded, tucking herself against his side.

If Erend was right, and this was a dream, then she never wanted to wake up from it either.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Aloy woke up to Erend gently pushing her shoulder.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Sorry to wake you. You, uh, have a visitor.”

She blinked up at him, not sure she heard right. Who could possibly be here to see her? “What?” She asked groggily.

“Varl. He’s waiting outside for you.”

She blinked again, letting those words wash over her. _Varl? Here? What for?_

“Oh. I should probably get dressed then.” She sat up, slowly taking in the scene before her. There were clothes everywhere. Erend was moving things around and she realized he was only wearing pants. She realized he must have opened with door without a shirt on and started to feel heat on her cheeks. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed by the thought, more that she wasn’t ready to confront the reality of people knowing what she had been up to for the past day.

Oh, well.

Erend found and pulled on his shirt then headed down the stairs as she went to her find something to wear in one of her drawers. She could hear the door open downstairs and Erend saying, “She’ll be right down. You can, uh, come in. If you want.”

If Varl responded, she didn’t hear what he said.

It was awfully quiet downstairs as she put on clothes and ran a comb through her hair. She was sure she’d looked worse before, but she was certain she’d also looked better.

“Pastry?” she heard Erend say, a hint of something in his voice she hadn’t heard before.

“No thanks,” Varl responded, a bitter tone in his voice.

She went down the stairs hurriedly not wanting to keep either of them waiting. When she got to the landing, she could see Erend leaning against a counter eating a pastry, one corner of his mouth pulled way up. It must have been a very good pastry. Varl was sitting in a chair drumming his fingers on the table, but at the sound of her approach he looked up, giving her a tight smile.

“Hi Varl.”

“Aloy.” He said.

“Well,” started Erend, “I should probably get more food. Either of you want anything special?”

“I’m ok.” Aloy said.

“Varl?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Right. Then I better get to the barracks. Who knows what kind of trouble they’ve been getting into since I was last there?” Erend said, still grinning. She wasn’t sure what he was so happy about. He went upstairs, presumably to get the remainder of his clothes, while Varl silently looked up towards the loft, his brows pulled together.

Erend made a lot of noise getting ready and came down just as loudly.

Aloy wasn’t sure what would happen next. He was leaving for the day and they had been…intimate. Erend answered her door shirtless. It’s not like Varl couldn’t guess what had happened between them. But should she hug him? Kiss him? She didn’t know what the protocol for this was. She had seen other people in relationships, but they had all been very established relationships, and this was extremely new. It’s not even like she’d grown up with a model of domesticity to try and imitate.

She needn’t have worried however, as Erend came over and kissed her swiftly on the cheek before saying, “I’ll see you later?”

She nodded, her cheeks catching on fire.

“Nice to see you, Varl,” Erend said. Varl didn’t respond, only stared after him as he shut the door.

Varl stared at the door for a while before turning, though he didn’t look right at Aloy. He was tense, his shoulders stiff, his eyebrows drawn together.

“So,” he started. “You and him, huh?”

Aloy took a moment to think about that statement. She hadn’t invited Varl over here, hadn’t expected him to show up and catch her in this moment. If and when people were going to find out about her and Erend was something that was supposed to be up to them, not a chance encounter.

And she hadn’t missed the sharpness in his voice as he said _him_. Was Erend right that Varl was interested in her? Was this jealousy? Or was it judgement? Because she had been judged her whole life for things in which she had no choice, and she certainly wasn’t going to allow herself to be judged for something she did choose, something that made her feel true happiness. And if it was judgement of Erend? Well, no one wanted to pick that fight with her.

Ultimately, she settled for ignoring the question. While she wasn’t generally fond of the Nora, Varl wasn’t a bad guy. She respected his abilities in battle and while there would always be the barrier of the Nora calling her the Anointed, she knew that Varl would have stepped up to help her before that whole ordeal. Her personal life wasn’t any of his business though, despite what the general population of the Nora thought.

“Why are you here?” Aloy asked.

Varl let out a quick breath, like he couldn’t believe she ignored his question. He bit his lip, searching the room like he was looking for a way to move the conversation in the direction he wanted. Shaking his head, he said, “I was sent here to let you know that we’re leaving. Today.” His eyes flicked to her, like he was looking for a reaction.

“Ok. I’ll be sure to stop by and say some goodbyes.” She wasn’t sure where this was going.

“We were hoping you’d come back with us.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because you belong with us, Aloy. Don’t you see? The Nora aren’t meant for the world out here. We have our lands we’re meant to defend. And we need you.”

“Nothing against you, Varl, but the Nora didn’t need me the first eighteen years of my life. Nothing has changed. I’ve always been who I am. And now, more than ever, I understand that I’m not meant for the type of life the Nora lead. Besides, I’m a Seeker. I go where I please.”

He sighed. “They won’t be happy with that answer.”

“I’m sorry you’re the one who has to deliver it.”

He really looked at her then, frustration on his face, his eyes searching hers. He opened his mouth, drawing in a breath as if to say something, then let it go shaking his head. “I better be going then,” he stood up and headed for the door, Aloy following closely behind. He opened it and as she started to close it behind him, he called over his shoulder, “If you find the Captain can’t keep up with you…well, you know where to find me.”

“What does that even mean?” she called after him, but he didn’t turn around to answer, and she was glad.


	11. Chapter 11

Aloy did go to see the Nora before they left. She at least wanted to say goodbye to Teb, one of the few Nora who had always been kind to her.

But after that, she wasn’t sure what to do with herself, how to fall into a pattern of living here. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to stay, other than the fact that leaving meant she wouldn’t be with Erend.

Busying herself in the market, she perused the wares merchants were selling. There were clothes made of fabric that shimmered in the light and necklaces with gems that reflected the sun, weapons that looked like they would be fun to fight a Thunderjaw with and foods she didn’t have a name for. Merchants called to her to see what they had in stock, most recognizing her and knowing that she would be interested in things from far reaches of the land.

A hand reached out and grabbed her arm, tugging her towards a part of the street shaded by canopies.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, jerking her arm back. The person who grabbed her released her, holding up his dirty hands.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just have a matter to discuss with you.” The man wore rusty-red clothing, dirt lining the hem and sleeves. He had a woven cap on his head and a long white beard tied in the middle with a piece of string.

“You could have been nicer about getting my attention.” Aloy brushed off her arm. “Well spit it out, what do you want?”

“I know of something you might be interested in.”

“And what’s that?”

“A cave. Far west of here. It’s sealed by a grand metal entrance embedded at the base of a cliff, a dozen Snapmaws guarding it.”

“There are lots of caves. What’s so special about this one?”

“There’s a voice coming from the door.”

“So, it has power?” This was another one of those stories people were telling her. They liked to tell her about things they didn’t understand, and she had to sift through the details to figure out if the story was worth investigating.

“I know not of what you speak. I only know there is a voice, like that of the goddess I hear the Nora worship.”

Aloy shook her head. This wasn’t enough to make her want to go there. She wasn’t going to journey for some unknown amount of time if there wasn’t something tangible to go off, other than ‘it’s west of here’.

“Thanks, maybe I’ll look into it if I’m out that way.” She turned to leave.

“Wait!” the man said. “I have more!”

“What’s it to you if I go there or not?”

“I just want to hear the story. I just want to know what’s in there. I spent many days trying to get inside, and I have to know what’s on the other side of that door!”

“Well, like I said, I’ll look into it if I’m out there. That’s the best I can do.” She turned to leave, but the man reached out as if to grab her and she spun around. “You’re very persistent.”

“Here!” he said, shoving a piece of folded parchment at her.

She took it warily, unfolding it but keeping her eyes on him. The parchment had a drawing on it of what she presumed to be the entrance to the cave. But anyone could draw a picture and say there was treasure to be found, if only you could follow the obscure markings on a map.

The drawing showed an overgrown flat circle set in the side of a cliff. The big circle had ridges carved in it, or maybe they were just more growth or liberties the artist took. She could see that the cliff was near some water, and there were mountains in the distance, but it wasn’t much to go on.

She was about to hand it back when she noticed a detail on the door. FARO, it said across the metal. Her heart skipped a beat. That wouldn’t be something a random person would come up with. Faro didn’t mean anything to anyone alive except for her and Sylens as far as she knew.

“Did you draw this?”

“Yes.” The man nodded enthusiastically.

He knew he had her interest now. She needed to know what was in there too. “Can I take this with me?”

“So, you’ll go? You’ll see what’s inside?”

“I’ll try. Is there anything else you can tell me that will help me find it?” She turned to leave again.

“Not much. I was with some others but crossed paths with some bandits. I fled from them and wound up here.”

Aloy sighed. At least she had a picture. “Alright then,” she folded up the map and started to walk away.

“Don’t forget to come back and tell me what’s in there!” He shouted as she walked away with his drawing.

Aloy continued to wander the streets, weighing her thoughts on the drawing. It was substantial evidence, a lead she was sure Erend would understand her following, but how could she leave now? How could she leave when everything felt right?

But she knew she couldn’t stay forever. She was meant to be a wanderer and she was confident Erend knew that. So why was there a giant knot forming in her stomach as her feet carrier her towards the training yard?

Suddenly she was at the entrance. She watched Erend as he sparred with one of his men. He wasn’t graceful but he knew how to use his brute force to his advantage. The man he was sparring made a misstep and Erend took the opening, knocking his opponent to the ground. The guard rubbed at his side and one of the men pointed Aloy’s presence out to Erend.

When he saw Aloy, he smiled at her with a lopsided grin that stole her breath and made her stomach knot up even more. She wasn’t completely sure, but she thought he might be blushing. He wiped his forehead on his sleeve and walked over to her.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon,” he said quietly, if you could ever call Erend quiet.

“I was kind of running out of things to do,” she shrugged.

“Well you’re always welcome to come teach these guys a lesson,” he smirked. Aloy let out a brief laugh.

“Maybe some other time.” She took a breath, not knowing how to dive into the next part of this conversation. She got the feeling Erend could sense something was off.

“What’s that you got there?” He asked, pointing at the piece of paper in her hand.

“Oh, it’s…” she cleared her throat. “It’s nothing. Just…a map.”

Erend’s eyebrows went up. “A map to what?” He shifted his weight, his eyes staying on the map.

“I’m not sure exactly. Some crazed man gave it to me. But I think it might actually be legitimate.”

He studied her for a moment in silence. “I assume you’re going after it?” There was note of disappointment in his voice and the knot pulled tighter.

She sighed. “I’d like to.”

“And I don’t suppose you need any help? You know, of the _people type_?” He gave a lopsided grin, but it was hopeful. Forced.

Aloy shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“I see.” Erend said, the disappointment in his voice clearer, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his head. He took a step away from her.

“I’ll be back though, Erend. I promise. I’m not sure where this will take me, but if I don’t find it after a week, I’ll come back to resupply and rest.”

“Right, ok,” Erend said unconvincingly, taking another step back.

“Hey,” she said, reaching out for his hand. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?”

“Sure. Just…just make sure you come back. In one piece. Please.”

She nodded, then swept her eyes over the training grounds where everyone was watching them. She sighed, remembering that she didn’t much care for what other people thought. Standing on her toes, she kissed him quickly. A loud roar of approval came from the other men and Aloy could feel Erend smiling against her lips.

“I’ll be back. In one piece. I promise.” She smiled. “Just don’t fall in love with someone else while I’m gone.”

He laughed. “I won’t. Besides, you’re worth waiting for.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the same as chapter 10 but from Erend's perspective. For some reason, when I started writing it, it came out from Erend's perspective. So I went with it and then went back and rewrote it from Aloy's perspective so it would fit with the rest of the chapters. But I really liked this version so I wanted to keep it in.

All Erend could see when he opened his eyes was Aloy’s hair and he couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t run away, or told him to get out, only asked him to stay. More than asked him to stay, in fact.

He let out a huff of breath, taking in her sleeping form beside him. Erend’s mind ran through the impossibility of the situation again – surely, he was dreaming, or dead, or in some drug induced fantasy.

No. He wasn’t. Erend couldn’t continue to think that way if this was ever going to work. He couldn’t simply worship the ground she walked on, a hopeful puppy waiting for a pat on the head, never believing that Aloy could want him the way he wanted her.

She had already proved that she wanted him. _Multiple times_ , he thought to himself elatedly, the memories of each intimate moment they shared presenting themselves as evidence in his mind.

It was miraculous to Erend, but it was still happening. Still real. Still everything he ever wanted and more.

Now he just had to not mess it up.

Erend’s stomach growled and he realized he didn’t know when he last ate. He got up slowly to not disturb Aloy, found his pants on the floor and put them on, then shuffled down the stairs.

Finding that there were still pastries leftover, he started eating one. _Food_ , was all he could think in his barely-awake state.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Without thinking, he put down the pastry, walked over to the door, and opened it. He was not fully awake, still somewhat bleary eyed, but all at once everything came into focus. He was suddenly very, very awake. And also very shirtless.

A Nora was standing outside Aloy’s home – Varl, he realized, after his vision cleared – his eyes narrowed slightly and his mouth hanging open. Erend was caught between wanting to run away, unsure of how Aloy would feel about this particular encounter and wanting to smile as smugly as possible.

Boy was he glad he was on _this_ side of the door.

“I must have the wrong house, sorry.” Varl turned to walk away.

Erend wasn’t sure what to do. Varl would eventually find out that this was Aloy’s home, and, hopefully, he and everyone else would eventually find out that Erend and Aloy were…something. He wasn’t sure what yet, but whatever it was he hoped it was permanent. He sighed. “Are you looking for Aloy?”

Varl looked over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. “Yes?”

“Wait here.” Erend closed the door and leaned up against it, his mouth dry.

Erend slowly went up the stairs and approached Aloy’s sleeping form. He gently nudged her shoulder. “Hey. Sorry to wake you. You, uh, have a visitor.”

Aloy blinked up at him. “What?”

“Varl. He’s waiting outside for you.”

“Oh.” She looked adorably confused, her eyebrows pulling together in a frown that he wanted to kiss away. “I should probably get dressed then.”

He found his shirt on the floor and pulled it over his head as she got out of bed. With one last glance over his shoulder at Aloy he went downstairs. When he opened the door, Varl was standing on the other side waiting with questioning eyes. “She’ll be right down. You can, uh, come in. If you want.” Erend gestured inside the house, opening the door wide enough for Varl to enter.

Varl looked Erend up and down once but went in saying nothing as he went in.

Erend felt _happy_. He always imagined the day would come when Aloy would have a bounce in her step, or a glow about her, and he would know that some lucky bastard out there was making her happy and he would get jealous and be consumed by the thought that the hypothetical suitor better be treating her the way she deserved to be treated. And though there had been little opportunity for him to witness a bounce in her step, he was elated to think that if there was one, it was because of himself.

And not Varl.

Nope, not Varl at all.

And _that_ was a particularly satisfying thought. Erend genuinely meant it when he had said he expected Varl to be in her favor. They seemed like a match made in Nora heaven or whatever it was they believed in. But Aloy chose him, Erend, the once drunken bum who’d followed in his sister’s shadow.

But he had noticed how when Varl realized that Erend was in Aloy’s house, half dressed, early in the morning, his muscles had tensed, and confusion took over his features. Erend was sure that if he had been in Varl’s shoes, he would have wanted to punch something. Or drink. He would have felt awful.

But it wasn’t him calling on Aloy only to find her with another man.

He was pretty sure he would never stop smiling just from the pure relief of it all. He was a fool. A damn lucky fool.

It was as Erend was thinking these thoughts that he realized he should probably say something to Varl. He grabbed the box of pastries from the counter – there were still a couple left – and said, “Pastry?” with a smile he knew was much broader than was required of the situation. But he couldn’t help it. He was… _giddy_.

Varl’s lip curled. “No thanks.” He sat in one of the chairs at the table, patiently waiting for Aloy to make her appearance.

Erend leaned against the counter, finding nothing else he could say to Varl. He suspected there was awkward tension there, but he was too deliriously satisfied with the situation to care.

When Aloy did finally come downstairs, it was with a hesitant look on her face. It looked like she had tried unsuccessfully to tame her hair. She took in the situation, Erend leaning against the counter and Varl staring at her from her kitchen table.

“Hi Varl,” she said simply.

“Aloy.” He nodded his head once at her.

“Well,” started Erend, “I should probably get more food. Either of you want anything special?” He would buy the whole damn bakery if it would mean he could keep feeling this way.

“Thanks, but I think I’ve had enough pastry.” Aloy said.

“Varl?” He asked out of politeness, though he barely took his eyes off Aloy.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Right. Then I better get to the barracks. Who knows what kind of trouble they’ve been getting into since I was last there?” Erend said with a laugh. Aloy looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

He went up the stairs to find his things and knew he was being loud as he put on his boots, but he didn’t care. He got ready as quickly as he could then went back downstairs.

Without even thinking, Erend went over to Aloy and kissed her on the cheek. He hadn’t done it to rub it in Varl’s face, and he felt guilty once he realized what he’d done, but he had done it because it felt right, because after what they’d shared it had been instinct. “I’ll see you later?”

She nodded, her cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink. He had to stop himself from whistling while he left.

“Nice to see you, Varl,” the Oseram said over his shoulder as he approached the door. Varl said nothing.

It was going to be an amazing day.


End file.
